05-04-26
Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev lived up to massive expectations at UFC Fight Night 272, submitting Brendson Ribeiro in the first round at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
The 25-year-old light heavyweight, who entered as a -1600 betting favorite, locked up a rear-naked choke to finish Ribeiro at 2:52 of Round 1. The victory moved Yakhyaev to 9-0 in MMA and 2-0 in the UFC, while Ribeiro’s record shifted to 17-10 MMA and 3-4 UFC.
"I'm really happy. We made plan to finish in the first round and we did it," Yakhyaev said after the bout. He added: "It doesn't matter who is next. I just want to fight."
Yakhyaev has now finished all but one of his career wins in the first round, and all three of his UFC opponents have been stopped inside the opening frame.
